Rise In People Being Attacked After Meeting Someone On Tinder

An increasing number of us use apps to arrange dates and establish relationships these days, which makes figures released by the Metropolitan Police particularly concerning.

In the last year alone, at least 50 sex offences have been reported to police after victims met their alleged attackers on Tinder and Grindr, according to London police data.

The number of people reporting crime involving these apps – including theft, violence and sexual offences – has skyrocketed by 2,000% since 2012.

In 2012, Tinder and Grindr were linked to 18 such incidents in London, but in the first half of this year alone, officers logged 187 such offences.

If this trend persists, it means there will be more than 350 crimes in London that are linked to the apps by the end of the year – up from the 317 logged last year.

And if the same number of sex offences are reported in the second half of 2016 as in the first half (50), this year's total (100) will be a marked increased on the number reported last year (74).

To put things into perspective, just four sexual offences were linked to Tinder and Grindr in 2012, the year Tinder launched and three years after Grindr was founded.

If you're arranging to meet up with someone you've only ever spoken to via an app or online for the first time, it's advisable to meet in a public place.

Lincolnshire Rape Crisis recently founded the Ask For Angela initiative, in which people who feel unsafe or uncomfortable on a date can ask for "Angela" at local bars and be assisted by members of staff.

Until drives like this are more commonplace around the country, anyone who feels their safety is under threat while on a date should make a discrete exit and depending on the person's behaviour, alert the police.